Ecuador: The 12th Country I’ve Experienced Outside the U.S. and My Favorite!

Two weeks and more golden moments than I could have ever imagined! As in Kenya my goals for this trip are to serve, to love, to learn, and to be aware, with the added one of investigating what makes a successful volunteer program. The night before we flew to Ecuador I conjured up a new career option…to be a volunteer program consultant. In this role I would figure out what makes a successful volunteer program, go out and volunteer, and then consult with the administrators on how to improve their program in order to make it more effective for all parties involved. I have never heard of this type of consulting, but if you have, and wouldn’t mind saving me some research time, please share your insight below or in an email!

ANYHOO, you’re probably wondering what CJ and I have been up to our first two weeks in Ecuador. There are four main aspects of our trip to this point I would like to share including, the town of Banos, the jungle, Katitawa School, and most important OUR ENGAGEMENT J!

BANOS: Upon arriving in the capital, Quito, CJ and I hightailed it to Banos to meet Linda, my nephew’s grandma. This took five hours by taxi and bus through the most lush mountains and past the most waterfalls I hadever seen. As we neared Banos CJ & I saw our first ever view of an active volcano, as dark smoke billowed out of Tungurahua. (We have yet to see lava but are planning a late night walk to do just that pretty soon.) Once we found Linda she walked us around Banos, a quaint town geared toward adventure-seeking tourists. She introduced us to her many Gringo & Ecuadorian friends and showed us the best cafes, markets, hostels, internet places, parks, etc.

We were both immediately captivated by the warmness of the people, the menu of things to experience, the cleanliness, and the surrounding view of enormous green mountains with mysterious clouds toward their tops and waterfalls cascading down their sides, and of course the active volcano. Linda lives a 30 minute bus ride and one hour walk through the jungle away from Banos and goes there every few days to restock on supplies, as she does not have electricity. Her log home in the jungle has served as CJ and I’s primary home so far. Banos has become our second home. * So all you sports fans can rest easier know that CJ and I made a special trip into Banos to watch the Super Bowl and continue making special trips to watch the Olympics…all with Spanish commentating (and normally the volume turned down).

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Linda owns 185 acres in what I believe is one of two cloud forests in Ecuador. The hour long walk through the jungle to her log home takes you across a long, rickety foot bridge, up a mountain, by wild orchids and wild lemon trees, across small rivers, through mud liable to suck your knee-high rubber boots off, down a mountain, near waterfalls, on and on and on. Linda’s 185 acres is split into a 160 acre plot and a 25 acre plot, and she has the 25 acre plot for sale. During our first trek in CJ and I were already brainstorming ideas of how to purchase the 25 acres…and we still are! The log home she built is two stories with what I would call a glorified widows watch as a third story, where I like to read, pray, and do yoga in the mornings.

There is a wrap around porch, 1 bedroom, a bathroom, full kitchen, living room, fireplace, and huge loft. If I had to describe the jungle in one word it would be pristine. It’s one of those places worthy of National Geographic Magazine and also too amazing to fully depict through words or photos. You just have to experience it…the mist, the vibrantly colored butterflies, the funky bright flowers, the variety of grasshoppers, the blanket of clouds, the roar of the river…you just have to experience it.

KATITAWA SCHOOL: For nearly a year prior to traveling to Ecuador I followed the happenings at Katitawa School on their blogs. I understood it to be an experiential Spanish/English primary school for the indigenous children of the small town of Salasaca. On their blogs it looked like a wonderfully successful program with construction going on, photos of the children engaging in cultural celebrations, and rave volunteer reviews. While the facilities are incredible, looks can be deceiving and after one day of volunteering it was clear to CJ and I, as well as the nearly dozen other volunteers there at the time, that the school lacked vision and organization. There was no curriculum, no class schedule, and no consistency as the school is almost entirely run by volunteers who come and go every few days or few weeks. If you’re thinking their disorganization was a real opportunity for us to help, forget it. It became very much apparent as soon as we started asking questions that they have no intention or desire to change. As CJ frames it, “It’s a glorified playground,” and because of that after two days we returned to Banos in search of a volunteer project that better fit our reasons for coming to Ecuador. We are now serving at Arte del Mundo (art of the world). For two months we will both assist with their incredible after-school program by playing board games and card games, doing art, and reading with children. Additionally, CJ will teach guitar to children, I will teach English to children and adults, and I will hopefully start a dance class for the children.

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?”… “FREELY & GLADLY, FREELY & GLADLY!!”: Exactly one year from the day CJ and I met, which just happened to be Valentine’s Day, we started the day by taking machetes to vines, which were forming a ceiling over the narrow path to Linda’s home. We fed two horses, planted the top of a pineapple, and chopped firework…all very appropriate Valentine’s Day activities wouldn’t you say? After lunch we set off on a 20-minute creek stomping adventure up to an impassable roaring waterfall. Upon arriving at the waterfall we sat to the side of it, sharing cheese and crackers. Knowing the thrill I get out of feeling the mist from a waterfall CJ suggested I cross the creek to where I could stand closest to the front of the waterfall. He followed me across, gave me a huge hug from behind and asked how I was doing. After responding that I had never been better and that I absolutely loved that spot he reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring, held it in front of me, and asked me to marry him. I immediately spun around and began hugging him and bawling…and bawling…and bawling. Eventually, I answered “freely and gladly, freely and gladly,” a term I use regularly and he totally anticipated. After he put the ring on my finger and we hugged and I cried some more he took a vile out of his pocket for us to collect some “engagement water” from the waterfall. Collecting water from places we visit is something both of us did before we met and now enjoy doing together. It was perfect.

Saying Goodbye to Kenya Hard to Do (weeks 5/6)

HAPPENINGS DURING WEEKS 5 & 6:

- CJ came up with the incredible idea of making s’mores with the boarders who had never even heard of marshmallows and kept getting them confused with mash potatoes, before actually seeing & tasting them. It took some energy to find the ingredients and we had to substitute gram crackers for another type of cookie/cracker/biscuit thing, but as their faces ended up smeared with chocolate and marshmallow I judged it as a complete success. One boy held out his s’more to CJ and exclaimed, “CJ, you have created the sweetest place!”

- CJ and I hung out with Nip’s friend, Noel, and a couple of his art/rasta brothers. We made music together, discussed culture, justice, music, respect, art, peace and life, enjoyed Kenyan food together, laughed together A LOT, and mostly understood each other’s English.

- Keela, CJ, and I drew and colored A LOT of educational posters for the classrooms on everything from the human body to native plants and animals to the foods we eat to weather patterns.

- Keela and I made no bake cookies for the boaders. I will never forget immediately becoming teary eyed having learned the kids have never tasted chocolate chip cookies. With no access to an oven, no bakes were a delicious alternative that they thoroughly enjoyed and savored. Next time I come you can bet homemade chocolate chip cookies will be on the packing list.

- CJ and I continued talking with the kids about topics presented in the Bible including eternal life, fear, baptism, worry, the books of Psalms and Proverbs, etc.

- Keela and I purchased fabric and had dresses custom made representing the style in Kenya. CJ purchased fabric and had a shirt made. For all of our fabric plus the cost of having the clothes made by a tailor we spent less than $50 between the three of us!

- We took the kids to the field to play football on a Saturday when a crusade was going on. It was an incredible, unexpected surprise for me because I had been wanting to attend a crusade outside of a church and I thoroughly enjoyed it. At the beginning of the crusade a group of about dozen Kenyans stood in a circle holding hands and praying together. Later, a worship team sang and danced on a temporary stage built at the field specifically for the crusade. Many of the boarders and I energetically danced for what seemed like hours as the crowd grew and grew. It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had worshipping God!

- We devoted one day to shopping for goods to sell in America to support Jambo Jipya and a few souvenirs. That day also turned into a fun experience with multiple forms of transportation including walking, riding on pki-pkis (motorcycles), and riding in matatus and tuk tuks (3 passenger motorized tricycle things).

- As with the first month of the trip most of our time the last two weeks was spent with the kids, playing, talking, and teaching each other.

RANDOM:

RELIGION/CHRISTIANITY/BELIEFS –

In six weeks CJ and I attended three Church services, one crusade at the field, and discussed spirituality/religion/Christianity at length with a variety of Kenyans. By some we were labeled “bad” Christians for not attending Church more often. Our decision to not attend Church every Sunday did not come without much contemplation, prayer, and discussion. Among the many things we evaluated were whether discomfort at a Church service is an indicator of false teaching, whether discomfort can be an indicator of false teaching, how we can discern false teaching, whether false teaching is reason not to attend a certain Church, and whether attendance indicates support.

We arrived at two conclusions…

1) If you believe you can attend a certain Church one time and support the body of Christ and not their doctrine you should go. If you don’t think you can go even once without showing your support for the doctrine they are teaching then you shouldn’t go even once. If you think you can go 200 times and just show support for the body of Christ and never for their doctrines then you should do that. (This concept is something we had discussed in the past with one of the Pastors in Lake Placid who we respect very much, but which took on new challenges and meaning while in Kenya).

2) Together we decided that the question is not what is the value of your action. The question is are you acting? Taking action is what it means to be free in Christ. If you are free then you can stand for whatever you believe and it is right because you are standing…because you are taking action. You are not being lukewarm. You are not being idle. Everything belongs. So the people who are sitting on the roof on Sunday morning, instead of going to Church, because they don’t want to support something they don’t understand are right. They belong. The person who feels you have to go to Church to be a good Christian is right. That person belongs. The person who goes to Church out of respect for another person, even though she is bored and doesn’t agree with the teaching is right. That person belongs.

JAMBO JIPYA – Simply put I would be thrilled to send my kids to Jambo Jipya. If something happen to me I would have no problem with my kids moving into Jambo Jipya and growing up there.

SHARING/GIVING – I have never experienced giving and sharing like I have in Kenya. To watch the children sharing their food and clothing and anything else they have with one another is miraculous compared to the hording of personal possessions I am so accustomed to witnessing and doing myself. Two of the three Sunday’s I attended Church here two different woman let me wear one of their tailor made African outfits. Both women later gave me those outfits! I am so excited about how these last six weeks have bolstered my sharing and giving. I should arrive home with at least two less bracelets and one less pair of shoes and that is super cool!!

ASSUMPTIONS - I was reminded of how dangerous assumptions are. This reminder came both from assumptions I made about a few Kenyans and assumptions that a couple Kenyans made about me.

NONVIOLENCE/COMMUNITY-BUILDING – I read seven books, as well as many passages from the Bible, most of which discussed nonviolence and community. After much thinking and discussion about these topics I am seriously considering studying these subjects in greater depth in hopes of someday teaching these subjects as an adjunct professor.

RASTA – I realized parallels between the Rasta way of life and Christ’s teachings and decided that Rasta culture is something I want to learn much more about.

Loving Kenya - Week 3 & 4

Happenings over the past couple of weeks
- CJ and many of the boys recorded a cd consisting of 8 original raps in Kiswahili (and a little English by “DJ CJ”)!
- Keela and I led the kids in a project coloring pictures and designs on t-shirts with fabric markers. The t-shirts are going to children in America who made shirts for the kids here.
- CJ & I started a bible study/discussion group that is going phenomenally! About a dozen kids come everyday to learn what the bible has to say about various topics and ask questions. Our intentions the first day were to try to make it last one hour, three hours into it we were still talking. The list of topics the kids came up with includes Jonah, anxiety, fear, cheating, complaining, discipline, fasting, juding others, gossip, Job, jealousy, and much, much more!
- Made boondoggle bracelets with the kids.
- Watched Michael Jackson music videos with the kids.
- Took the kids to a field a few times to play football and just run around.
- The kids and I have danced…A LOT!
- Drawn, colored, and read books with the kids.
- Celebrated Christmas with thousands of East Africans at an annual Christmas crusade. More about that another time.
- I have read 6 books (Everything Belongs, Community Making and Peace, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Dead Aid, People Power, and Say You’re One of Them).
- Keela and I have watched six Julia Roberts movies…I think CJ has made it though one with us haha.
- Celebrated New Years Eve with card games, wine, and chocolate. Keela and CJ drove Mama’s car…quite an adventure considering neither of them had ever driven in Kenya and the car wouldn’t accelerate properly. Later, I engineered a ball (bag of banana peels) to drop from the top of our staircase at midnight. A New Year’s to remember no doubt.
- New Years Day we took the boarders to the beach where we enjoyed a feast of goat and chipatis, played football, collected shells, and swam in the Indian Ocean. It was my first time swimming in the Indian Ocean and easily my favorite day of the trip so far.

In love with Kenya
- I love how spirited the people are. There is much singing and laughter here.
- I love the references to God painted on cars, fruit stands, hair salons, etc. It is normal in one day to see a sticker exclaiming “The Lord is my Shepherd” on the back windshield of a matatu, “In God We Trust” painted on a wall at a hair salon, “God is good” on the mudflaps of a semitruck, and “Glory to God” painted on the side of a car.
- I love the children (so much). Their eagerness to learn, their physical toughness, and their ability to joyfully entertain themselves is too incredible to explain.
- I love the variety, affordability, and availability of fruit! Everyday we make a huge fruit salad with mangos, bananas, pineapple, passion fruit, and occasionally coconut. People line the streets and alleys selling fruit. Everyday I am baffled by how cheap it is…you can buy four mangos, six bananas, a pineapple, and eight passion fruit for $4.00!
- I love how warmly people greet each other. Everyday people shake my hand and smile excitedly when we greet…children and adults alike.
- I love the incredibly large number of small businesses – tailors, fruit stands, hair salons, internet cafes, clothing stalls, furniture shops, stalls selling handmade metal cookware, and the list goes on and on. There is one paved road through the middle of town and off this road lining every side dirt road and alleyway are small businesses. Most are set up in stands or stalls measuring about 6x6 and made out of plywood, tree limbs, palmfrawns, and scrap pieces of metal.
- I love the breeze and the sunshine while it sprinkles.
- I love how everyone happily exclaims “Jambo” to us as we walk past each other.
- I love renting movies! For a little over $1.00 we get a dvd with 10 movies on it!!

Thoughts/Reactions to Life in Kenya - Week 2

--- I Have 40 Brothers and Sisters in Kenya
A few days ago a couple of the kids began asking me the names of my family members, “What is your mother’s name?” “What is your father’s name?” “What is your mother’s father’s name?” On and on and on. Most of these kids are orphans. Some of their parents are dead. For others no one knows where their parents are. One boy was found living in the woods all alone. And yet they have such interest in family. It thrills them to look at pictures of mine and CJ/Keela’s families. I would like to think that faced with their situation at such a young age I would feel the same joy toward learning about another’s family. However, I’m not sure I wouldn’t instead be cynical of the concept of family and cynical towards those with families. I am so thankful that the leaders of Jambo Jipya created an environment where each boarder is surrounded by 40 brothers and sisters everyday and that they view me as their sister.

















--- Time, Trash, & Trying to Figure Out the Right Reaction
Though the heat is exhausting, the food is very different, and I only understand a handful of Kiswahili words, the only two things that really get to me here are the way in which people treat each other’s time and the trash. From my perspective the culture is very disrespectful toward another’s time. To quote Keela, “No one is where they are supposed to be when they say they will be there.” Being of the mindset that early is on time and on time is late I am finding it difficult to keep from getting annoyed with this aspect of their culture. What is more frustrating is that, as a guest, I do not know whether it is better/more respectful to go along with it or voice my opinion...Thoughts? Suggestions?

I have the same reaction toward what they do with trash (throw it anywhere on the ground and when a heap gets big enough, set fire to it). Although the trash issue is a little different as it pertains more to their Government and lack of public services, it is still a matter of respect for others and the earth, as well as a sanitary issue.

During our matatu ride to Mombasa last week I witnessed people, cows, and goats rummaging together through a heap of trash. I hope the people were not searching for food like the cows and goats, but I would be surprised if that was not one of the reasons. Riding in the 14 passenger matatu with 19 other people I began wondering if in America we are that much better putting trash in bags in our homes and public places only to have it totted off to a landfill. While I do believe it is a health risk to have trash scattered everywhere, we Americans are very ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ What is the effect of that?

The best answer I have come up with so far is to consume less, thus creating less trash. If we lived simple sustainable lifestyles, growing and catching much of our food and using our food waste for fertilizer, rather than buying food packaged in excess amounts of plastic, styrofoam, and cardboard, we would have much less trash. Less trash means less negative impact on our global climate, and yes less of an eye sore…Thoughts? Suggestions?

--- To Do My Own Laundry Or Not? (sure never thought I would struggle over this question haha)
Two days a week a woman ("Auntie") comes to do all the wash and clean the bathrooms and kitchen. The first time Keela, CJ, and I prepared to do our laundry Mama (Christine) told us to save it for the woman to do. However, we felt it was our responsibility to do our own wash. So we went against Mama and did it. When Auntie came later in the week, on the day CJ and I were planning to do laundry, we again met resistance from our host family who could not understand why we were going to wash our clothes, instead of giving them to the woman to do. This prompted a long conversation between CJ and I.

Standing in the yard holding our buckets of dirty clothes we discussed the pros, cons, and reasons for doing our laundry and for the woman doing our laundry. I am well aware how silly this entire situation probably sounds to you. If it does, think about being a guest at a friend or family member’s home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and how you change to respect the environment you are in, or maybe the crap you get for not? CJ and I are guests in a completely different culture trying to respect our host family, the local community, and Kenya.

If we do our own wash we convince ourselves and attempt to convince those around us that we are not lazy. We also think it is the responsible thing to do, to be willing do what our parents hounded us about growing up. However, by allowing Auntie to do our wash we are providing her with an income to feed her family and not contributing to her being aid dependant. The result of our conversation is that I am sitting on the roof writing this and CJ is sitting next to me reading. Auntie is standing behind me hanging up one of my skirts. Hopefully I’ve got it right that creating a sustainable existence is not always doing for yourself what you are capable of, but sometimes contributing to the sustainability of another human, while you take a break. No man is an island unto himself…we are all connected.














--- Church
Our first Sunday here we attended church. Out of respect for Mama, Keela, CJ, and I decided after that service that we would go with her every other week, instead of every week. It was a lot to handle. At the Miracle Center Church there are three columns of plastic patio chairs. Women sit on the right and in the back of the middle column, while the men sit on the left and in the front of the middle column. I was very thankful when Mama let CJ, Keela, and I sit in the back with the Jambo Jipya kids, instead of with her in the front row! The first half an hour was loud, energetic singing. The only instruments were people’s hands, which they clapped more enthusiastically than a Yankee fan could after watching their team defeat the Red Sox in game seven of a World Series. I recognized one song as the kids would sing the chorus in English while looking at CJ, Keela, and I… “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The next two hours consisted of the Pastor screaming in Kiswahili into a microphone that resembled a huge strawberry ice cream cone (the heat may have gotten to me a little too much when I made this connection J). As the Pastor screamed into the “ice cream cone” he rushed back and forth across the stage. Every few words he would pause so the man following close behind him could translate into “English” for CJ, Keela, and I. In two and a half hours I only understood a handful of phrases. I know there was a lot about God’s providence and sexual immorality. The middle of the sermon felt like an infomercial as the Pastor elaborated on every spread of a 2010 calendar the Church had for sale. A few times he directly talked to CJ, Keela, and I, which was awkward as we were three of a couple hundred people. I love experiencing new things, especially when it pertains to a different culture, and I often say you have to try something new twice as the first time could have been a fluke. However, when CJ asked my reaction as we were walking out I told him I was glad I experienced it, but I never needed to again. Soon after returning home CJ, Keela, and I had church on the roof.

First Impressions of Kenya - Week 1

Goals/Expectations of the trip: To be aware, to learn, to love

My daily routine/the kids: Everyday, except Sunday, I spent half of the day at the school with the kids and the other half of each day doing yoga, washing clothes, reading, journaling, talking with Keela and CJ, and/or running errands.

From just before we arrived until January 4 the students are on Christmas holiday so while at the school I am with the 40 students who live there, known as the boarders (once school resumes there will be a couple hundred students there).

The students are very bright, very joyful, very polite, and very tough. In spending time with the kids one of my main goals is to get home exhausted. I feel if I am not tired after spending half the day with them then I did not give them enough of myself. I am happy to report that so far they have succeeded at exhausting me everyday.

We spend most of our time teaching each other. They teach me Swahili, I teach them dance. They teach me games, I teach them games. They unknowingly teach me about life, I teach them about the Bible. Many of them are bright by American standards. Honestly, this somewhat surprised me, as they do not have access to simple resources such as paper, pencils, and books, outside of the school day. What they do have is a hunger and thirst to learn like I have never seen before. Constantly, they come up to me and say, “Michel Obama, quiz me in math,” “Teacher, quiz me in science,” or simply, “Teach me something.” Yes, some of them call me “Michelle Obama” haha. They also have a habit of calling me “cha” for teacher.

Their politeness has a joyful quality to it just as their readiness to learn has. Everyday when we arrive they greet us at the door and shake our hands. When we leave we shake hands again. There are about 5 plastic chairs for the 50 people there each day and the students joyfully offer the chair they are sitting in for CJ, Keela, or I if we are standing.

The physical toughness of these kids, girls as well as boys, is incredible. I would bet they play just as rough as tackles in the NFL and do not complain or get injured nearly as often! They have slid across the concrete, gotten hit in the face with a soccerball, fallen on their head doing a handstand, run into each other, stepped on everything you can imagine with no shoes on, and not only have I yet to hear one of them cry or complain, they do not even stop for a few seconds to recover.

Lodging: I live in a beautiful 5 bedroom/3 bathroom home with Christine, the woman who runs Jambo Jipya, Destiny & Fisher, two of her children, Keela, and CJ. We have no AC, no hot water, and no washer or dryer, but we have a full kitchen, including a refrigerator, which is not common. My favorite part of the house is the roof which is where CJ, Keela, and I spend a few hours every morning doing yoga, eating breakfast, reading, talking, writing, etc. The yard is beautifully decorated with tropical trees and plants, many of which I grew up admiring in SW FL. Also in the yard is a pin currently housing chickens, roosters, and turkeys. Unfortunately, the rooster gets going long before the sun rises. Lining the perimeter of the lot is a tall wall and a gate.

Jambo Jipya: The school consists of 11 classrooms, a kitchen, a girls dorm, a boys dorm, a hang out room (which I call the sauna), Christine’s office, a play area, bathrooms, shower rooms, and a storage room. Sounds like a big operation, right? Not exactly. Though I have not yet measured it, I would estimate it to fit inside a high school gymnasium in America. Most of the ground is dirt though in some areas there is concrete. Some of the walls are a combination of mud, trees, and concrete and some are plywood on the bottom half and something resembling chicken wire on the top half. The classrooms are about 10x10 and their walls are filled with handmade educational posters written in English. The students who live there receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and tea between lunch and dinner.

Food: IT IS SO TASTY! The first night we had white rice, cooked cabbage with oil, tomatoes, & onions in it, and goat. The second night we ate the children’s favorite meal with them at the school of chapatis and beans. A chapatis is similar to a fajita shell, you eat it with your fingers by dunking it in the side dish, and it takes all day to make so the kids only get them on Saturdays. Since then we have had chapatis with other sides, such as the cabbage dish mentioned above, greens mixed tomatoes, onions, & oil, and even peanut butter and jelly. Most everything is oiled heavily. There is also a wonderful variety of delicious fruit, the mangos and pineapple being my favorite. We often buy fruit from vendors on our way home from school in the evenings.

Mwtapa: Like Christine’s yard, Mwtapa is full of lush tropical vegetation. Everywhere you look you see a variety of palm trees, mango trees, sugar cane, banana trees, eucalyptus, elephant ears, vines and bushes with flowers in full bloom on the walls around people’s homes, and much more.
There are people EVERYWHERE (or maybe it is just that people are outside moving around and not huddled in their office like in America)! Every street and alley in Mwtapa is lined with individuals and shops selling mostly clothing, food, or hair supplies. A fewer number sell furniture or are pharmacies. People get around by walking, riding a motorcycle, taking a taxi, or for longer distances taking a matatu (public van)…individuals do not own cars. Goats, chickens, and cows are also roaming around everywhere.

There is also trash EVERYWHERE! Trash pickup/disposal is one of the many public services they are without in Kenya. As a result, if outside they throw trash on the ground (coke bottles, wrappers, paper, anything and everything). If inside, they put trash in small plastic bags and later throw them in a heap in an open field, or on the side of the road, and then others go around setting fire to the bags of trash.

Wow…I haven’t even begun to write about my thoughts/struggles from this week! However, as I have written quite a bit already I will close for now and in the next few days organize my reactions and include them in the next post.

Thank you for the prayers! Now that we have arrived and settled in safely please pray for Jambo Jipya, for their fundraising efforts, and for their leaders to make the best decisions for the future of the school.

It’s a wonderful world…hope you are enjoying it,
Michel

How Two Unemployed College Graduates Spent Their Fall in Florida

•Collected coquinas and made coquina stew
•Prayed...A LOT
•CJ finally got me to watch Star Wars for my 1st time…and I loved it!
•Skeet shooting competitions













•Memorized scripture
•Attended a discussion seeking to raise awareness about sustainability issues – Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, was on the panel…a brilliant man!
•I completed about 70% of my current six month semester in a month and a half
•Carved a Cat in the Hat inspired watermelon, oh yeah and a pumpkin

•Kayaked
•Hunted: 2 Florida alligators and CJ got his first deer
•CJ recorded a cd “Line Around the Outside” – the digital files are currently available for sale on facebook and myspace!! Check it out the lyrics WILL make us a more peaceful and united people

•Read – the Bible, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stepping Lightly, I Am a Strange Loop, Lovely Bones
•Yard work and two garage sales
•Enjoyed Friday night date night
•Swam in the Gulf of Mexico

•Dreaded each other’s hair

•CJ took the GRE and has nearly completed his Grad school applications to six schools!
•Trained for a sprint triathlon but then didn’t participate as we drove to Mississippi that weekend
•Drove to Mississippi to help my Army brother, Kyle, while he was moving from Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX to Fort Bragg in Fayetville, NC

And much, much more...

Help a Young Person in Your Life Grow Into a Caring Adult

As one with a strong desire to help children and youth grow into quality men and women I often think about how kids are raised who care. Care about their own quality of life, care about others, and care about the environment. In my hours of pondering this I have decided that one of the best ways is to encourage young people to volunteer. I have further decided that it is easy…if you lead by example.

The benefits to those who volunteer are countless and quality. Volunteering improves one’s interpersonal skills, communication skills, and job skills, as well as helps individuals learn and develop completely new skills, interests, and hobbies. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Volunteering can help you achieve just that as it improves your knowledge. When we volunteer we help solve problems, we improve the lives of others and our own, and we enjoy the intangible benefits of feeling accomplishment and satisfaction. One of my favorite reasons for volunteering is the incredible opportunity it provides for you to engage with a diverse range of people.

I have heard it said that no person is an island. Though in today’s consumer society as we more and more take for granted the communities in which we ARE a member, many people unfortunately operate within that very frame of mind. Nevertheless, it is necessary for our survival that we co-depend on each other. Volunteering allows you to connect with your communities and give back some of the benefits that your communities give you.

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP ENSURE A YOUNG PERSON IN YOUR LIFE GROWS INTO A CARING ADULT??
• Start them volunteering young
• Involve the whole family in volunteer projects
• Involve their friends in volunteer projects
• Take volunteering on the road – Do it on vacation!

There are SO many ways to get involved volunteering from collecting items for charity and visiting people at a hospital to participating in a fundraiser and mowing a neighbor’s yard. To get started contact public organizations such as a school, hospital, library, or animal shelter or go online and do a search on google.com or 1-800-volunteer.org.

And in case you were wondering…It is not only the young that benefit from volunteering. A study conducted by the John Hopkins Medical Institute found that volunteering as an older adult improves mental and physical health.